Lifeboat-handling mechanism



Feb. 4, 1,930. ,l EDWARDS I 1,746,109

LIFEBOAT HANDLING MECHANI SM Filed March 21, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 4, 19340.l

L. EDWARDS LIFEBOAT HANDLING VMEGHANISM v Filed Maren 21, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 2 Feb. 4, 1930. l..A EDWARDS LIFEBOAT HANDLING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 21, 1929 .mu n

' Feb. 4, 1930. L. EDWARDS 1,746,109

` LIFEBOAT HANDLING MECHANISM Filed March 21, 1929 5 sheds-'sheet 4 A L du/Yards In/wanton Y Patentd Fehr 4 I f :l l, g

line'lof- Figure 11,. and Y f lflfhis'invention:relates to mechanisml for Figure 11 is a `detailvievv off-the topsec rapidly and'expeditiously-handling life boats. tion of the Vdavit. i v Itris aime d to'y provide yafnovel disappearing Referring specifically to theldrawings, 10 construction adapted to becarried by alvessel.` designatesfragmentarilythe deck Vof a ship, Y 5 f Another important -o'bj ect is to provideva' abovewhich life boats 'of the type 'shovvn in constructionwhereinv the casing is rotatable Figure l arevcarried in the usualmanner.

and mainlydisposed below a'deck and which Suitably fastened in 'an opreninginthe''floor'` has `articulate*sections .adapted 'to be p'ro-l v10 is a 'collar or bearing'12 in Which'fa tubular l jected andsubstantially form an arc-'for betcasing 13, preferablyof asuitable-metal, is i' 10 ter cactio'n {With ylife bo'ats2 1 ndv which sec-y fiurnaled'. Such casing 13 is ymainly disposedV .tionsi are adapteditogassume a straight l line be'lo'w the deck 10 land it's'flo'wer lendlis sup- Jwheninretracted'ordisappearedposition. v.'-p'ortedandj'ournaled inabase-or bearing 14 y Another vobj ect is to 'provide a, no vellcony fastened as at 15to 'a suitable part in the sh-ip., ,l struction Whereinftheeasing carries ja motor i or vessel. -K Y A Y Y 3;- '151 and coacting parts wherebyvthe -casingfmay-:- Ags best shown inFi'gure 55 casinglnor'- 65 be rotated and whereby the disappearing mally houses apdavit'generally designated-16' Y structure may be actuated and raising and only life boatengagingparts being exposed .iowringmeghanigmfor the life boats may be Tor extending v'above the decl; 10. Such davit u agtuatei Y 4 j f v j 16 is adapted tobe extended into the pgosition- The `more specific objectsand advantagesI lshown in Figure v1 so that itv may engage the 79 -Willinvpart `be pointed out and otherwise" llfef'bo'at and the arrangement described become apparent froina consideration ofthe' 'therefore'is a disappearing 'davit. i i Y :description v.follow-ing vtaken -in y connection; lligidly fastened to andV extending radially rwith accompanying drawings illustrating anV from'the `casing '135 l"slightly above the 'deck 5 operative embodiment.. is yaf'platforrnror support 17 which rests on 75 AIn sad"girawngs; A `anfannular .rack or ring 18 arranged coni :Figure: 1 -is ia" view showingthe device 'oen-tric With the axis of the casing 16 and seielevation, partly brokenaway,l as in use;` `cured to the deck .10. electric motor'or Figure 2 isa View similar to Figure Italien 'o ther approved pri-me mover as at; 18 is 'can 30 at arightanglefthereto andlooking from the' rl'ed by platform '17 and its main shaft 19 80' rightinv Figure 1,. n i i j drives a bevel gearjvvheel 2O which is ar- `Figureisan enlarged sectionalviewitaken ranged in mesh; with a bevel gear Wheel-21 onthe line-3 3 ofFigure :1, -leyed toy a shaft 22 vertically disposed'and, Y f 'f Y -Figure is an enlarged sectional'view taken Journaledv on one side ofthe platform 17 and aongihe line 4-4 Figure -1 als? haring a gear Wheel 23 keyede'herew 8.5. c

Figure 5k is a-vievvfincentral vertical-seo 'WhlCh }S 1n mesh W'lth'hteeth'g 0fy the tio-n somewhat similar to/'Figure l1 but show aforesald mok 18"- It Wlu .be D LOted ft the e i ling the parts indisappeared or'retracted posi- Shan-.119 h as aqclutch 25 h'fr1-1n Of C Qven- 'Y tional deslgn' Wherebyvdriving. relationbe- -v foltmn f' tWe nth mot r18`andl ear2`0 b'v tbv 90V Figure G isaside elvationfof aplurahty of' 1. fhedf e or lh e Y .1. zmty. .6,135 e. davitsections-v- Y, *17S et, 01'- utllt t1'rqfg-fw'Opiifammi Qi a i f f' f j .l clutchactuatinglever 2'6.A It Willbe seen c .Flglfe 7 1S a'YleWPf Sald dwlff SQCUQQS 0f that' xwheiiciuich 25 isjin and iiiiiir'isopeiat- *Flgre' maken at Hgh? anale there@q I iiigaiiatthegearing described win istat@ eas- 45 :F.Ignw 1S @Pla-I1 VlW @fone 0f the dem ing 10y about' its vertical axis',- aiidihiismve 95 Y Sectlons, j 'itip any position desired.- Figure 9is asetional viewtaken on the fReveit-gto thedavt 16,'-thes`ame` has a Y line 9 9 of Figure 1, Y f Y lower section" 27 whieh Aiioriiially rests onv Fgurel() is a sectional view tallrjonth diametrically' kopposite ysupports 28' arranged *1 z 'wiihintlie casina-13% Thdavtalse-iiclufies?,190 j a top section 29 and any suitable number of p intermediate sections 30. As shown in the drawings, the various davit sections 27, 29 and 30 are of skeleton or fabricated formJ preferably made from strips of metal. Along two longitudinal edges the said davit sections have intertting hinge members Which are joined by horizontal pintles or pivots. At the other longitudinal edges, adjacent the junction of the sections, brackets 33 and 34 are fastened in pairs to respective sections, the section 33 being rigidly connected to gether by transverse bars 35 and links36 are pivotally connected to thebrackets 33 and pass through vertically elongated slots 37 of the brackets 34. By reason of this construction, the sections 27, 29 and 30 are capable of v limited pivotal movement relatively to each other so that they may assume the alined position when retracted and may assume arcuate form shown in Figure 1, of their own weight, when projected.

The davit of its own weight tends to move i,

and return to retracted position. In order to project it, a cable 71 is anchored to a stud 39 suitably mounted at the base of section 27 .Y

Said cable 71 is trained over a guide pulley 40 below the same, which is carried byY a bracket 41 loosely passing between bars 42 rigid with the-casing 10 and which mount Vthe bracket 41, a plate 43 .being slidable on the rod 44 of the bracket, and a cushioning coil spring 45 being carried by the rod and engaging the plate 43 at one end and an abutment 46 on the rodvat the other end. Said cable 71 then Vpasses upwardly through a guide vsheath 66, over guide pulley 77a and thence over a winding drum 78. Sheave 77 is journaled on a shaft 50'fixedbetween side bearings 51 rigidon the platform 17. Y

Said drum 78 is loose on a shaft 81 which is in turn journaled at oneend in one of the walls 51 and at its other end has a sleeve 85 screw threaded thereon andin turnjournaled in the adjacent side wall 51. Keyed to shaft 81 is a gearrwheel 82 which has a friction clutch portion 83 arranged to engage a friction clutch recess 84 in the drum 78. By

Vreason of this construction, while the drum may be disengaged from the shaft 81, it

maybe brought into rigid relation therewith by turning the sleeve 85 against the same, thuscausing the surfaces 83 and 84 to clutch or engage, inthe latter condition being uniy latter are retracted within the casing 13. Also under such`conditions, lug 64 on the same davit 'sections overlap guide rails 65 carried by a: plate 66 fastened rigidly within and to the casing 13.

Adjacent the top of the davits a hook 67 is carriedwliich is adapted to' engage in eyelets 68 or the like of life boatsinthe handling l of the latter, that is in raising or lowering the same into and out of the water or swinging them `laterally across' the deck 10. The

khook 67 has a--roller or pulley 69 pivoted to a pin70V thereon and a cable` 38 is trained over pulley 69 having one end anchored'at 72 by an eyerbolt to the section 29 of the davit. Said cable 38 also passes-overa guide pulley 7 3 journaledin-bracket 74 carried by the section 29. Cable 38 thence passes into the casing 13 and over 'guide pulleys 7 5 passi ing through bars 76, then leaving behind the sheath 66, then being'I trained over guide pulley 48 and then being fastened to drum49. Pulley 48 is journaled on'a shaft 50 fastened to tlie'be'aringl. V`Cables80 are fastenedat l 81 to the section 27 of thedavit, trained over the pulley77 and fastened to the drum 78.

The drum 49 is loose on a sha-ft v52 which is Y vjournaledat one end in one of the side bear-Vv ings 51, having a gear 54'thereon and also having coacting clutch portions 55 and 56 similar to those at 83 and 84, respectively.V The other end ofshaft 52 is screw threaded with a Asleeve 53 and the latter is-journaled in the other side bearing 51 and adapted for operation similar tothe sleeve 85, toconnector disconnect the drum 49 relative to the shaft 52 so as to exert'a positive action on the cable fastened thereto or to permit paying out thereof. v

Cable 71 is wound on drum 78 opposite to the cables 80 so that when the davit is eX- tended, cable 71 will wind off when cables 80 arewinding on the drunraV For that reason 'spring 45 is arranged under pulley 40 to keep an equal tension on cables 80 and 71.

A cable 9() suitably trained over pulleys 91 is then wrapped' aboutsiX turnson drum" 92 Y and Vthen extends into casing 13 and has a weight `93 on same, heavy enoughto'keep the slack out of cable when the hook 67 is being raised after lowering a' life boat.

` A conventional brakej94 is connected toV ydrum 92 so the operator vcan work it fromhis usual position to, s top drum 92 from rev(` lv V ing which tightens cable 90 and upsets hook 67 whichreleases the lifeboat from the hook 67.V

Various changes maybe resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope- 4of the invention.

I claim "as my invention f .n

l. In combination, with a deck, a casing mounted for rotation and mainly disposed below the deck, a davit normallywthinfthe casing means to rotate the casing, and means 'operable to project the davit.

2. In combinationl with a deck, a casing mainly disposed below the same, and a davit normally within the casing, .and means operable to project the davit, said davit being in articulate sections arranged to move out of straight lines when projected. Y v j 8. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a davit normally retracted therein, said davit comprising articulate sections and means permitting limited relative movement of certain of the sections in projectedV position.

4. In combination with a hollow," rotatable casing, a motor carried thereby, means oper-v able by the -motor to rotatethe casing, a davit normally disposed within the casing, and means to operate the davit from the motor.

5. In combination with a casing, a motor carried thereby, meansoperable by the motor y' to rotate the casing, agdavit carried by the casing, meansto` project the davit from the casing, means on the davit to engage anl object, and means Vto operatezt-he lastmentioned means from themotor. v K

6. A device of they class described compris,-

V ingV a casing, a davit normally .housed withyin the casing, said davit 'comprising sections,

means hingingV said sections together, and link connections between the sectionspermitting vlimited 'movement thereof on their. f hinges. y .7.V A' device of the'class described comprising'a casing, a davit normally disposed within the casing, said davitcomprising articulated sections, and engaging elements carried by the sections and casing to guide the sections in retracted" position.

8. A device of the class described c-omprisi' ing a casing, a davit normally disposed within the casing, said davit comprisingartlculated sections, engaging elements carried by',

the sections and casing to guide the sections in retracted position, means within theV casing on which the davit normally rests, cable means operable to project the davit, and a resiliently mounted guide member within the casing below the Vdavit traversedv by said cable.

9. Adevice of the class described comprising a casing, a davitV comprising articulated sections normally disposed within the casing, Vmeans mounting the casing forrotation, a rack concentric with the casing, a platform secured to and extending from the casing, a motor on said platform, a. connection between themo'tor and rack whereby the same may rotate the casing, and means between the motor land casing operable to project the davit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. p

LOWI EDWARDS. 

